Kyoji Horiguchi back quickly, faces Hiromasa Ogikubo at Rizin 11

Kyoji Horiguchi didn’t waste any time in his last fight and he’ll be return to competition nearly as quickly.

The rising Japanese star will take on countryman Hiromasa Ogikubo at Rizin FF 11 on July 29 at Saitama Super Arena, the promotion announced Wednesday. The bout will be contested at 60kg (132 pounds).

Horiguchi (24-2) is coming off a nine-second knockout of fellow UFC veteran Ian McCall in the main event of Rizin 10 earlier this month. The former UFC flyweight title challenger has not lost since he fell in that fight to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 186 in 2015. Horiguchi, 27, departed the UFC in 2017 and subsequently won the Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix last year, culminating with a knockout victory over Shintaro Ishiwatari in the final back in December.

Ogikubo (17-3-2) has won seven straight official fights in MMA since falling to Horiguchi under the Shooto banner in 2013. The karate fighter was a fan favorite on The Ultimate Fighter 24 in 2016, making it to the final where he lost to Tim Elliott by unanimous decision. Ogikubo, 31, never did get a shot in the UFC after that, returning to Shooto, where he has one two in a row.

No other fights have been officially named yet for Rizin 11. The promotion announced Wednesday that it will be running shows July 29, Aug. 12 and Sept. 30, leading into its annual New Year’s Eve spectacle.